We're jumping ahead here, but if this is successful, then maybe this is the way to go for other development ideas?

I'm thinking here about ...
"Most original module development project"
"Xoops website of the month"
"Best help article"
"Best contributor to XOOPS forums"
"Funny stories from the world of Xoops"

... well, it could go on, but the idea is ecourage competitive activity from the viewpoint of recognising skills and hard work. The spin-off is that the community also benefits from the results while individuals feel a sense of value and achievemnt.

Richard

maybe this is a beginning to build a xootopia..

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Damn ! I'll have to change my primary idea then... What about Lolo Ferrari then ?

More seriously, are you sure you should be so strict about the rules. Remember the stricter you are, the less you will get contestant (for instance, I'm not very comfortable with css only themes, yet).

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Well, I think it is fair to assume that theme writers can learn not to do:

but instead have

etc. and then define those classes in the CSS file(s)

If you cannot do that, you should learn (I don't mean to imply that you are an idiot if you cannot do that already, but merely that it would be good for you to learn that, so this rule will result in a win-win situation)

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i agree :)

great idea and yes it is far more easier to follow and understand a theme when the theme.html looks like:



instead of having loads of widths columns, colors styles borders all defined in the theme file..

if the css file contains the classes neatly in order it should be no problem for even the real newbie to css to follow..

I think that the simpular the contest is, the more chance of submissions, and the overall fun. So what if it's not W3C compatible. Alot of websites are'nt.
It also becomes a pain in the butt.

C'mon keep the contest simple, not a mountain of rules you have to follow by. Hey, it's not some giant cash jackpot, is'nt it?

Anyways, I'm in.
You need to put creativity in there as well, alot of XOOPS sites look the same. Really bores me out.

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If this is meant to be run by the XOOPS Organisation and one of the prizes is that the theme will be included in the XOOPS package, then it IS a big deal to be XHTML valid.

Anyway, it is not like it is difficult to make an XHTML valid theme, as long as you incorporate it in the theme building from the beginning.

The session lenth on the forum is way too short! I got logged out before I could finish writing my reply. Dagnabit! Oh well. Here's the short version.....

IMHO, the contest/themes should have...
Strict rules (especially if the winner's theme will be the new default)
Standards Compliance (XHTML/CSS)
Small package size (>50KB will ensure fast load times)
No languages other than XHTML/CSS/Smarty
Included template set (if you're gonna do it, do it right)
Be 100% original and "generic" (meaning no tribute themes, just Xoops!)
Have clean code (take the time to write the code so it's easy to read)
Must be compatible with 800x600 resolution minimally (no horizontal scroll!)
Should at minimum include comments in code to explain what they're doing
Should provide a VALID email address (no URLs) for support requests
2nd and 3rd place themes included as optional themes (like phpkaox and xt2 are now)

Personally, I think that this is an exceptional opportunity for themers from all levels to improve their skills and earn some well deserved recognition. By being strict, the community is assured a high quality theme and the developers will be forced to do their homework (not a bad thing at all).

Now my questions.....
How do themers submit their sites to be reviewed?
What will be the deadline to submit a theme?
How do I sign up to be a judge?

I know, redundant, but I wanted to show my support for Herko and others who believe this contest should be about quality coding, not half-a$$ hacking.

Just my 2 cents.

You could always compromise, and have two judging categories, like "Artistic Merit" and "Technical Merit", kind of like how figure skating is judged. Each theme would then receive 2 scores from each judge, and the best combined score would win the prize.

This would tend to reward the themer that covered all the bases, but wouldn't necessarily exclude us non-techies from participating.

Another idea (sorry for double-posting...)

Judge solely on artistic value. After all, the real value of a theme, IMHO, is to display a website's information in a pleasing-to-the-eyes fashion. Let the most beautiful, innovative theme win. Then, if the code behind the theme needs a touch-up, have someone skilled in XHTML, etc. do the touch-up.

I do agree with m0nty, however, that CSS should be used instead of things like <tr bgcolor="#433424">